My Tattoo Healing Progress

Hello, cuties! How are you?! Remember when I got a tattoo back in May? Well that tattoo is now fully healed and ready to be shown off to the world! (It's actually been healed for about 7 weeks now, but I didn't even think about doing an updated post until last night.)

So without further ado, here is my fully healed tattoo and how I've been taking care of it!

HEALING PROCESS

A few days after I got the tattoo, the layers of skin around the new ink started to peel. This is totally normal by the way, so don't be scared if you've just gotten a tattoo or plan on getting one! The whole peeling process is INCREDIBLY itchy, which is something I had trouble dealing with. It takes a lot of self control to not mess with your tattoo while it heals!

A few of the vertical lines within the pattern on the balloon literally came off during the healing process. This is partly because the ink didn't go far enough into my skin, partly because the lines were too thin, and partly because I might've aided in the healing process by peeling off some of the flaking skin, which led to peeling off some of the tattoo. Sorry to gross you out.

The same thing happened with the strings of the balloon and one of the lines in the basket. I think the reason these lines disappeared is because they were too thin.

All in all, my tattoo took 3 weeks to heal.

AFTERCARE/TIPS

ALWAYS keep your tattoo moisturized; that's something I learned at the beginning of the healing process. Nobody wants a crusty tatt, right? Not only is moisturizing essential in the healing process, but it's also a great way to keep your tattoo looking fresh. Whenever I think my tattoo is fading, I slap some lotion on and it looks good as new! Moisturizing also helps the tattoo to look smoother and less dry and "cracky". You'll understand what I mean when you get your own tattoo!

Keep your tattoo out of the sun! This prevents major fading. Whenever I go out in the sun, I make sure to put on SPF. This is essential even if you're going swimming, seeing as the water magnifies the sun rays. If you don't have sunscreen, cover up your tattoo with a towel or an article of clothing. I keep my tattoo out of the sun and it still looks as dark two months later as when I first got it. And I've spent a lot of time outside!

TOUCH UPS?

I'm debating whether or not to get the tattoo touched up to fix the missing lines. On one hand, fixing the lines would make the tattoo look better; on the other hand, I think the imperfections give it character!

Speaking of touch ups, do you see the blank banner smack-dab in the middle of the tattoo? I'm thinking of getting that - along with the flowery things on the top and bottom of the balloon - shaded in with a color a couple shades lighter than the color of the lines.

While I'm at it, I might get the 6 vertical segments of the balloon shaded to make the tattoo more 3-dimensional. I'm not sure though, because I'm kind of liking the sketched look. I'm trying to plan out what to do with this tattoo based on the tattoos I want to get in the future. I want them all to have the same level of intricacy.

Well that's it for today's post; short and sweet! I hope I've answered any of your questions and addressed all concerns you may have had about healing a tattoo. I'll see you soon in my next post!

Until then,

Jordan x

Ultimate Smoothie Tips and Recipes

Hello, everyone! I don't mean to brag, but I consider myself quite the smoothie expert. Healthy food is one of my biggest passions, and over the past couple of years, I've fallen especially in love with smoothies!

Smoothies are extremely versatile. Depending on what you put in your smoothie, you could have one for breakfast, dessert, after a workout, or as a detox after a long week of not-so-healthy eating! Today I am going to show you some key ingredients to put in your smoothies to make them as healthy, delicious and nutritious as possible!

Without further ado, here are some of my tips, tricks, and recipes to create the best smoothie possible. Enjoy!

Tips

- USE FROZEN FRUIT! Not only do they act as fruity ices cubes, but they cost a lot less than fresh fruit.

- Fatten up! In order for your body to absorb all of the fat-soluble vitamins and minerals in your smoothies, you need fat! I usually use coconut oil. The fat/oil allows your body to absorb more nutrients and it adds a wonderful creamy texture to your drink.

- Put the non-frozen ingredients (spinach, coconut oil, fresh fruit, etc.) closest to the blades. This will make for easier blending! Also, the weight of the frozen ingredients will help to push the unblended ingredients closer to the blades, making for even easier blending.

Staple Ingredients:
- 1 Banana
- 1 Cup Water/Almond Milk
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons Fat (Coconut Oil/Nut Butter)

The Interchangeables:

Fruits
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Mango
- Pineapple

Veggies
- Spinach
- Kale
- Cucumber

Oils/Fats
- Coconut Oil
- Avocado (Oil or Fruit)
- Nut Butter

Smoothie Boosters:
- Green Tea Packets
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Hemp Protein Powder
- Superfood Powder

Breakfast Smoothie:
Fruity Energizing Detox

- 1 Cup Water or Almond Milk
- 1 Frozen Banana
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
- 3 Packets Green Tea
- 6-8 Frozen Strawberries
- 1/2 Cup Blueberries
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- Superfood Powder (Optional)

The blueberries and strawberries in this smoothie are interchangeable; in fact, I believe a tropical version would be freakin' delicious. Switch out the berries for some pineapple and mango and you got yourself an island breeze!

Some people may have read the ingredients of this smoothie and gagged at the idea of consuming 3 packets of green tea leaves. Let me explain myself! Eating the contents of 3 green tea packets is the antioxidant equivalent of drinking 10 cups of green tea. How crazy is that?!

Not only is green tea a great source of antioxidants (as well as the blueberries), but it can also reduce the formation of free radicals, increase fat burning, and provide you with enough energy to get you through the morning! Because of the caffeine found in green tea, I wouldn't add it to any of your afternoon smoothies; it is strictly a morning smoothie booster! And don't worry, it doesn't make your smoothie taste bitter, and you can't feel the tea particles floating around in your mouth.

Together, the green tea, coconut oil, and lemon juice help to detox your body and make you glow!

WARNING:
If you decide to include superfood powder in your smoothie, check the ingredients to see if the powder includes any sweeteners such as stevia. If it does include a sweetener, I would recommend altering the amount of banana in the recipe. I can't tell you how many times I've created a sickly sweet mutant smoothie because I included both the 1 and 1/2 bananas and the powder. Learn from my mistakes!

Work Out/Dessert Smoothie:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Milkshake

- 1 Cup Almond Milk
- 1 Frozen Banana
- 4 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Cacao or Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Hemp Protein Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- Sprinkle of Salt

Now, you don't have to serve your milkshake in a wine glass like I did. This was just the only clean glass beverage holder I had!

I include cinnamon in all of my chocolatey smoothies to help reduce my risk of heart disease, but don't worry, you won't be able to taste the it! However, if you do want to taste the cinnamon, feel free to add more!

I add a pinch of sea salt to this "milk"shake because who doesn't love sea salt and chocolate?!

Depending on the type of hemp protein powder you use, your smoothie can have varying textures. The less refined the powder is, the rougher the texture of your smoothie can be. Watch out for that! If you're just into this smoothie for the dessert aspect, feel free to skip on the hemp protein powder!

Alrighty, kids, that's it for today's post! If you have any smoothie recipes you want to share, feel free to leave them in the comments section below!

I love you all very much, and I will see you my next post!
Jordan x